The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) is the largest advocacy coalition in Canada, focusing on research funding in all disciplines and support for post-secondary education. CCR is made up of 20 organizations, including CPA, that represent more than 50,000 researchers and 500,000 students across disciplines.

Uncategorized

CCR Summit: What’s needed and what’s next for Canada’s research community: A summit for scientists/researchers working in or outside of academia.

May 6-7, 2019 – Hilton Garden Inn, Ottawa

The CCR, in collaboration with the Canadian Psychological Association, is pleased to be hosting a 2-day Summit – What’s needed and what’s next for Canada’s research community: A summit for scientists/researchers working in or outside of academia. Dr. David Naylor, Chair of the panel convened to review fundamental science in Canada, will kick off the Summit with a Keynote Address and Townhall Discussion on the state of fundamental science in Canada. Delegates will then participate in break out sessions focused on the academic work environment, training our next generation for careers outside of academia, and impact/outcome measures in academia and science.

The CCR continues to meet with MPs to discuss its recommendations for budget 2015 and current/future issues facing the research community. MPs with whom meetings were most recently held include:
• MP Ted Hsu
• MP Kennedy Stewart

In the aftermath of the recent shooting on Parliament Hill and loss of Canadian Armed Forces soldiers there and in Quebec, the Canadian Consortium for Research extends its thoughts to those impacted by these tragic events.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With 19 member organizations, the Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) represents more than
50,000 researchers and 500,000 students across disciplines (http://en.ccr-ccr.ca/). In this capacity, it is the
largest advocacy coalition in Canada, focusing on research funding in all disciplines and support for post-secondary education.

The CCR recognizes that the federal government has continued to make investments in research
infrastructures, internships, as well as in Canada’s federal granting councils in past years. We look
forward to further details about the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, which we anticipate will be
accessible to all post-secondary institutions across Canada, based on a peer-review process by the
research community.

We appreciate that in a time of fiscal constraint, increases in research funding may have been seen as
challenging; necessitating a number of years of austerity for the research community, particularly
individual researchers who have seen base funding for the granting councils decrease when adjusted for
inflation. As we enter a surplus budget, increased investments in core funding for research, students and
infrastructure are required to ensure program growth and to position Canada competitively in the
international research landscape.

These investments will contribute to more and better-paying jobs, new inventions and patents, increased
productivity, increased government revenues over the medium- to long-term and an increased standard
of living for Canadians. They will also help to secure Canada’s place as an international work destination
for the next generation of researchers. For these reasons, the CCR submits the following
recommendations for further investments in these areas as part of the 2015 Budget:

Recommendation #1: That the government continue to increase the base budgets for the granting
councils and the Indirect Cost of Research program at levels that compensate for the effects of
current and past inflation, including increases in costs associated with infrastructure and research
personnel, and restore Canada’s international competitiveness, measured as a percentage of GDP.Cost: $150 million per year.

Recommendation #2: Increased support for students through graduate scholarships, full-time
internships and post-graduate training, across a diversity of disciplines and settings, particularly high demand
fields. Cost: $35 million per year.

Recommendation #3: Invest in various building blocks of Canada’s national research capacity and public science that support research conducted both within and outside of academic settings. Cost: $20 million per year.

The CCR’s recommendations address four of the six key themes identified by the House of Commons
Standing Committee on Finance:

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance has launched its pre-budget consultation process, and is inviting Canadians to participate. A report on the 2014 consultations will be tabled in the House of Commons prior to the December 2014 parliamentary adjournment. Suggestions made by Canadians and the pre-budget report compiled by the Committee will be considered by the Minister of Finance in the development of the 2015 federal budget.

“I am very pleased to be announcing the 2014 pre-budget consultations,” said Mr. James Rajotte, M.P. for Edmonton-Leduc and Chair of the House Finance Committee. “The Committee encourages the input of Canadians in this process, and invites individuals to provide a written submission with their proposals for the forthcoming budget.”

The CCR wishes to congratulate the Honourable Ed Holder on his recent appointment as Minister of State (Science and Technology). The CCR looks forward to working with the new Minister to address issues related to research in Canada.

(Ottawa) – The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) welcomes the 2003 federal budget as a serious investment in Canada’s future well-being and prosperity. As a coalition of both public and private sector research groups, the CCR is particularly pleased with specific funding announcements in the post-secondary education and research sector.
The creation of the Canada Graduate Scholarships shows a commitment from the federal government to preparing the next generation of scholars and other highly-qualified personnel for the role they will play in advancing Canada’s prosperity. The move towards making the funding of indirect costs permanent is also an significant step and will partially address the chronic under-funding of Canada’s universities. The increase to the base budgets of the granting councils is a further critical element in ensuring Canada’s research community is a world leader. Additionally, increased funding for the National Research Council, the Canada
Foundation for Innovation, and the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences are important investments.
In the broader perspective, the Consortium takes a positive view of the planned split of the CHST to a CHT and CST. We view this as an opportunity for the federal government to strengthen its partnerships with the provinces in support of post-secondary education. A logical progression in the trend towards greater accountability and transparency in government spending would be a further split of the CST into a specific transfer for post-secondary education and a social transfer. The creation of such a dedicated post-education transfer, together with the restoration of Federal post-secondary education funding to the levels of the early 1990’s, would begin to address the chronic core funding needs of Canada’s universities.
Another essential element in the broader research picture that still needs to be addressed is the under-funding of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council relative to the other granting councils. While the 10% across-the-board increase to the councils begins to address the pressing demand, the $15 million for SSHRC versus the $55 million increase for NSERC and CIHR does not represent the relative population of Canadian researchers.
The CCR looks forward to continuing to work with the federal government to further establish a well-balanced research support program in Canada. The Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) was established in 1976. It consists of the 22 organizations listed below that represent researchers in all disciplines across Canada. While the majority of these researchers are based in universities, the constituent organizations have numerous members in government laboratories and in private sector research centres. With approximately 50,000 researchers and 400,000 students represented in these member groups, the CCR is the largest organization in Canada whose primary concerns are the funding of research in all sectors and support for post-secondary education.
– 30 –
For more information:
Paul Ledwell, Chair
(613) 238-6112, ext. 307

Summary of Issues and Recommendations
Core Funding for Post-Secondary Education: The Canadian Consortium for Research recommends that the Government of Canada recognize the crucial role that universities play in the education and training of the next generation of researchers and develop a renewed mechanism that delivers increased core-funding levels to these institutions.

Granting Council Funding: The Canadian Consortium for Research recommends that the Government of Canada increase funding to all three federal granting councils to ensure internationally competitive research opportunities, and that a larger percentage increase be made to the budget of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council than the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Support for Students: The Canadian Consortium for Research recommends that the Government of Canada address the issues of adequacy, accountability, transparency and fairness of the post-secondary education system in this country, and ensure effective support for all students, and graduate students in particular, by establishing strong funding and scholarship programs that minimize the heavy debt load for students that result in restricted education opportunities.

Government Research: The Canadian Consortium for Research recommends that the Government of Canada re-commit to supporting government science and national facilities that provide Canada with leading-edge research and open doors to international collaboration.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized on November 11, 2002 by ccr-ccr. Fatal error: Call to undefined function is_plugin_active() in /srv/users/ccrccr/apps/ccrccr/public/wp-content/themes/twentytwelve-cfsdefault/category.php on line 41